Just south of Épernay, on the border of the Vallée de la Marne and the Côte des Blancs, lies the village of Pierry – a Premier Cru site revered as the workshop of Benedictine brother Jean Oudart, a contemporary of Dom Pérignon who is often overlooked for his contributions to modern day Champagne. The village grows all three of Champagne’s principal grapes quite well – as this land marks the transition in soils from the chalk and limestone riddled Côte des Blancs into the heavier clays and silts of the Vallée de la Marne. For this Cuvée Prestige, the cepage is an even split of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, with some 50% hailing from the 2020 harvest, mixed with a significant portion of reserve wines stemming from 2018 and 2019. 

Juicy, soft, and almost (almost!) too easy to drink… this Champagne opens with ripe and forward notes of tropical fruits – mostly Maui Gold pineapple and papaya. There’s an impression of sweetness that stands in contrast to the low, Brut level dosage, yet also a fine vein of bright chalkiness that really gives the wine some hefty gravitas. It dances across the palate nimbly as a feather, but added flavors of stewed apricots and creamy d’Anjou pears give this a mouth-coating weight and presence that works beautifully with the lingering spiciness of lemongrass on the finish. For under $45, this wine has lots to love about it – and I’ll be surely making this a part of my regular rotation for as much of 2025 as I possibly can! If you’re looking for your next savvy Champagne buy… look no further!